You've probably seen the bright, clean packaging of The Honey Pot Company in the aisles of Target or Walmart. It's a brand that basically changed how we talk about vaginal health. But lately, there's been a ton of chatter online. People are asking "who owns Honey Pot" because they're worried the soul of the brand might have changed after a massive paycheck hit the table.
Here is the short answer. Beatrice Dixon, the founder who literally started this in her kitchen because of a dream about an ancestor, still runs the show as CEO. However, the majority owner is now a giant investment firm called Compass Diversified (CODI).
In early 2024, they dropped $380 million to acquire the brand.
That’s a huge number. It’s the kind of money that makes people nervous. When a "Big Corporate" entity steps in, loyal customers start looking at the ingredient list with a magnifying glass, wondering if the formula is about to get cheaper or if the mission is getting watered down. Honestly, it’s a fair concern. We’ve seen it happen with plenty of other "indie" brands that got snatched up by conglomerates.
The 380 Million Dollar Question: Who Really Calls the Shots?
So, who owns Honey Pot in a legal sense? Compass Diversified. If you aren't a finance nerd, CODI is basically a company that buys other companies. They own things like PrimaLoft (the insulation in your jackets) and Lugano Diamonds. They aren't a traditional beauty conglomerate like L'Oréal or Estée Lauder.
They bought a majority stake, which means they own most of the equity.
But here is the nuance. Beatrice Dixon and her brother, Simon Gray, didn't just walk away with the cash and go buy an island. They kept a significant minority stake. More importantly, Dixon stayed on as the Chief Executive Officer.
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In the business world, this is a specific type of play. CODI isn't trying to run a feminine care brand themselves—they don't know how to make herbal-infused pads. They bought the brand because Dixon knew how to do it better than anyone else. They provided the "rocket fuel" (capital) to get the products into more stores and maybe even more countries.
Why the Ownership Change Caused Such a Stir
The internet has a long memory. Back in 2020, Honey Pot was at the center of a weirdly racist backlash after a Target commercial featured Dixon talking about how her success could help the next Black girl. The brand’s fans—especially Black women—rallied around her. They bought out the shelves. They protected her.
Because of that deep, emotional connection, the sale felt personal to some people.
There was a fear that selling to a predominantly white-owned investment firm was a "sell-out" move. But if you look at the math of scaling a global brand, it’s almost impossible to get onto every shelf in America without massive institutional backing. Dixon has been very vocal about this. She’s pointed out that Black founders often struggle to get even a fraction of the venture capital that their white counterparts receive.
By selling to CODI, she secured the brand’s future and created massive wealth for her family and her early investors. It’s a complicated victory.
Does the ownership change the ingredients?
This is what people actually care about when they ask about ownership. "Is my wash going to give me a rash now?"
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So far, the answer is no. Dixon has been adamant that the formulations—the plant-derived stuff that made them famous—aren't changing just because the bank account is bigger. In fact, having more money usually means better quality control and more research and development.
But we have to be real. Investors want a return. Usually, that means cutting costs somewhere. Whether that happens in three years or five years is the gamble every customer takes when a brand goes big. For now, the "who owns Honey Pot" saga hasn't resulted in a "New Coke" disaster.
The Timeline of Growth
It wasn't always $380 million deals and national TV spots.
- 2014: Beatrice Dixon launches the company with a single formula for a feminine wash. She was working a pharmacy job at the time.
- 2017: They get their big break in Target. This is the moment everything changed.
- 2020: The viral Target ad happens. The brand sees a massive surge in loyalty and sales.
- 2024: The acquisition by Compass Diversified is finalized.
It's a classic American success story, but with the added layer of modern "community-owned" sentiment. People feel like they own a piece of Honey Pot because they helped build it through word-of-mouth.
Breaking Down the "Sell-Out" Myth
We need to talk about the "exit." In the startup world, selling your company is the goal. It’s the "exit." But for some reason, when it’s a lifestyle or wellness brand rooted in community, the exit is seen as a betrayal.
Honestly, it’s a double standard.
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If a tech bro sells a software company for $400 million, he's a genius. If a Black woman sells a wellness brand for $380 million, people ask if she’s "staying true to her roots."
Dixon’s roots are in the products. As long as the products work, the ownership structure is mostly just paperwork for the SEC and the IRS. The real "owners" of the brand’s legacy are the people using the products every day.
What most people get wrong about CODI
Compass Diversified is a publicly traded company (NYSE: CODI). This means that technically, if you own shares of CODI, you partially own Honey Pot.
They operate differently than Private Equity (PE) firms. Traditional PE firms usually buy a company, strip it for parts, load it with debt, and flip it in three years. CODI tends to hold onto companies for a long time. They call themselves "permanent capital." This is actually good news for Honey Pot fans because it means there is less pressure to show insane, unsustainable growth in six months.
Actionable Insights for the Conscious Consumer
If you’re a fan of the brand and you’re worried about the ownership shift, here is how you should handle it moving forward:
- Watch the Ingredient List: Brands are legally required to update their packaging if they change the formula. If you see "Fragrance" (unspecified) or new parabens creeping in, that's your sign that the new ownership is prioritizing margins over mission.
- Follow the Founder: Beatrice Dixon is still the face and the CEO. If she ever leaves the company, that is the moment the brand truly changes. Most founders stay on for a "vesting period" of 2-5 years after a sale.
- Support the Ecosystem: If you feel uneasy about the sale, use it as a reminder to find the next kitchen-table brand. Check out companies like Golde or Topicals—other Black-owned wellness brands that are currently in their "growth" phase.
- Vote with Your Dollar: If the product quality stays high, there is no reason to stop buying. But if you notice the wipes getting thinner or the wash feeling "chemically," move on. There is too much competition in the "clean" feminine care space to settle for a degraded product.
The reality of who owns Honey Pot is that it’s a hybrid. It’s a Black-founded, woman-led brand that is now powered by a massive financial engine. It’s the "big leagues." Whether the brand can keep its "for humans with vaginas, by a human with a vagina" energy remains to be seen, but for now, Beatrice Dixon is still holding the wheel.